Dating 102
by gnbrules
Summary: Carlton's pretty sure that this level of excitement should be illegal. At the very least, it is almost definitely hazardous to his health. Pretty obviously, a sequel to Dating 101. Lassie/OC and strong Lassie/Jules friendship.
1. Shoot With Me

**DATING 102**

**Summary: Carlton's pretty sure that this level of excitement should be illegal. At the very least, it is almost definitely hazardous to his health. Pretty obviously, a sequel to Dating 101. Lassie/OC and Strong Lassie/Jules friendship. **

**A/N: Now that I've reached my official summer, I can concentrate on relaxing and personal creative writing, which includes fanfiction. ;) As mentioned, this is a sequel to Dating 101. You should probably read that one first if you'd like to fully understand the background on this one.  
**

**Chapter One: Shoot With Me **

Through unspoken agreement, Juliet becomes Carlton's dating coach (although he'd rather have his face doused in pepper spray than actually call her that).

Before his second date with Elizabeth, Juliet arrives at his apartment once again. She helps him go through a preliminary check list: she asks if he has everything he needs, she approves of his attire, and she rattles through several different should-nots and definitely-do-nots. She also goes through reminders: ask questions, be polite, keep your temper, smile.

After everything is set and he's ready to leave to pick Elizabeth up, Juliet stops him at the door with a gentle hand on his arm "Just have fun, Carlton." she smiles.

He nods, too nervous to say much else. And then they leave the apartment together.

This time around, Lassiter feels no great sense of fear as he makes his way up to Elizabeth's door. He knocks confidently, and when she opens it, he smiles with real excitement.

"Hi, Carlton. How are you?" she asks.

"Great, how are you?"

"Great."

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just hold on. Let me grab my gun and my gear."

Oh, he nearly melts on the spot.

Elizabeth returns with a purse on her arm and a holstered gun in her right hand. "Got my ammo, protective glasses, and ear plugs in my purse." she says, winking at him.

His eyes, however, don't leave her weapon. "What kind of --"

"You'll see soon enough," she smirks. "Let's go."

She closes the door behind her, and his sense of excitement increases a couple of notches.

Once in the car, he finds more courage to speak. "So, how's your week been?"

"Pretty good. Nothing too interesting...how about you?"

"Same," he replies. He decides not to mention that thinking about this date has been a particular highlight of his week, because he doesn't want to come off as too obsessive or anything.

"Hey, you're sure it's okay for us to use the Department shooting range? I am a civilian, and I don't want to get you into trouble..."

Lassiter snorts. "Yeah, and I'm the Head Detective. I _think _we'll be okay." He doesn't mention that he checked with the Chief, just to be sure. He also doesn't tell Elizabeth that the Chief was so excited about the prospect of him having any date at all, she quite possibly might have let them have the whole _station _to themselves for a night.

"So is it any good? I imagine it's a bit more comfortable than the public range...although that does have its merit."

Carlton considers the question. He knows what she means about the public range. It's located just near city limits, and is little more than a bare stretch of desert with a small hill to keep shots from extending for miles. There's a line for targets to be hung up, and not much else. It has a certain appeal to Carlton, sometimes, when he feels the need to be completely alone in ways even the SBPD shooting range can't provide him. But other than the guarantee of solitude, it's a pain to travel to, and deadly hot in the summer months. For the most part, he prefers the in-house range the Department offers.

"It suits me pretty well," he answers finally. "You know, its convenient. Plus, we've got a lot of gear. You probably didn't even have to bring your goggles and ear plugs...we've got plenty."

"I figured as much, but you know, I prefer my own."

"Can't argue with that," he nods.

The familiar route to the department is a short one, and it isn't long before they're stepping inside Carlton's place of work. They get some curious looks from some of the officers, not because Carlton's here off-duty (that happens so often that no one is really sure when he is actually _on _duty), but because he's never been seen with a non-officer, non-suspect companion.

And she's a woman, no less.

Buzz nearly walks into a wall as he stares openly at the pair.

Carlton smirks and leads Elizabeth through the department without stopping, and together, the two make their way down to the in-house shooting range.

She eyes the place with curiosity. "Pretty nice," she says.

He just nods, already feeling himself getting into a tunnel-visioned shooting mode. He takes his gun from his shoulder holster. Switches off the safety. Puts goggles on. He watches as Elizabeth pries a velcro portion of her holster up and pulls out her weapon. Easily identifiable as a Glock, although what model he isn't yet sure. "May I?" he asks.

"Trade," she smirks.

He gives in easily to her request. They make the switch carefully, his revolver into her hand, her Glock into his.

He's always loved the sturdy build and crisp look of Glocks...

"Compact, .380?"

"That's right."

"Nice fit for you?" he asks, getting a grip on it and pointing it safely at the ground.

"Suits me. This one is seriously heavy-duty, though." she says, remarking on Lassiter's revolver.

"Only the best. Is this the only weapon you own?"

She laughs. "Of course not. I have three registered weapons. A Smith and Wesson pistol, and two Glocks. I'm thinking about buying another gun, too. Not sure what kind yet."

"Hmmm..." He carefully hands it back. She returns his gun as well.

"Should we start?" he asks, trying to keep his eagerness subdued.

"Sure thing." Elizabeth grins.

She readies herself as he sets up a target. From her purse she draws out a box of ammunition and loads her weapon. She puts on goggles and puts in ear plugs.

He puts in ear plugs, too. Once everything is set and checked, he turns to her. "Ladies first!" he yells, hoping to be heard.

She grins and nods. She gets into a stance, arms extended and steady. He watches from slightly off to her side. She looks calm and deadly. He waits and she shoots.

Again and again, she fires the gun. The blasts charge him with adrenaline, even though he has yet to fire his own weapon.

O'Hara wasn't lying. She's a good shot. The target is ripped apart by bullets. One goes through the heart area, another goes cleanly through the shoulder. Her aim is precise and skilled.

The way Elizabeth handles a weapon may very well be the sexiest thing he's ever seen.

When she's done, she turns to him with a confident smile. "Impressed?" she yells.

He grins back. "Hell yeah!"

He can see her laugh though he can't hear it through his ear protection.

She steps aside so that he can take his turn. Instead of reloading – as she could be doing – she watches him. He finds himself really wanting to impress her, too...

The gun in his hand is his life-line, familiar in all the best possible ways. He takes his stance, steadies himself. Calm and cool. Eyes sharp, hands gripping firmly but not overly tight. He's got this covered.

He braces himself for the recoil, and he pulls the trigger in one instant. The blast hits him, as does the scent of gunpowder. It's enough to give him another adrenaline surge, and he can feel his blood pounding in his ears and fingertips. Pull the trigger, again, again. His careful aim mimics hers. A shot to the heart. A shot to the shoulder, then the other. A hip shot, just because he can. Two more to the heart region...

After the final bullet has been expelled from his weapon, he breathes out heavily. He's charged, wired – of course, its not really anything new: shooting has always been what makes him feel most alive. He lets his hands fall to his side, keeps his gun pointing to the floor. He pulls off his goggles and removes his ear plugs.

For a second, he almost forgets he's not alone, but is reminded when Elizabeth's hand finds its way to his arm, just beneath his shoulder. It's a subtle gesture, but intimate and perfect in its way. He looks over at her, and their eyes meet.

_Charged. _

"Impressed?" he asks quietly.

"Very, Detective."

She smiles into his kiss.

Neither one quite so tentative as on their first date, they let the kiss last. Deep and warm, natural and easy. He feels like he's falling. Into what, he won't hazard a guess.

And then they both hear them: footsteps.

They break apart and swivel on the spot.

Buzz stops in his tracks, his gun in one hand, a pair of protective glasses in the other. "Oh, sorry, Lass-"

"McNab!" barks Lassiter, flaming with both embarrassment and anger. "What are you doing down here?"

"I just wanted to practice...I can go, I guess..." Buzz replies, flustered.

"Yeah, you sho--"

"Aw, let him stay, Carlton." Elizabeth appeals quietly in his ear. "And introduce us, while you're at it."

He sighs, lets the anger recede as her hand finds his and squeezes slightly. "It's okay, McNab. You can stay."

Buzz blinks. "No, really, I can go. It's no prob--"

"You're fine, McNab." replies Lassiter, and his tone leaves little room for argument. "And I want you to meet my..." he pauses and wonders if this was a trap.

"Friend. Really good friend." supplies Elizabeth, smirking slightly.

"Really good friend," repeats Carlton. "Elizabeth Henson. And this is Buzz McNab."

"Nice to meet you, Buzz."

"You too..." he says, sounding slightly confused. "I'm just gonna be...over there, shooting." he says, pointing down to the far end of the range.

Carlton nods and turns away. He lets Buzz walk away to his own corner and get himself settled. Soon, the sounds of his shots reverberate around the range.

"Why'd we let him stay again?" asks Carlton.

"Because we don't need the whole range, and he's a cop, and it's sort of part of his job...right?"

"I guess," Lassiter grumbles.

"Hey, we've still got our guns. And lots of shooting left to do."

He smirks. "Oh, yeah, we've definitely got more shooting to do."

**A/N: I only have a limited knowledge of guns, shooting, and the gun range. But that's why I left out anything too detailed, and I think it still worked. If not, suspend disbelief. A couple more chapters to come soon. Reviews greatly appreciated. **


	2. Double Date

**Chapter Two: Double Date**

Neither one of them really expected to do anything after the shooting range, but Carlton finds himself asking if she wants to get coffee or a bite to eat together.

"I'm not a big coffee fan," she says, and he almost wants to shake his head to make sure he heard right. _Who doesn't like coffee?_ "When in need of caffeine, I stick to unhealthy amounts of soda. When it's too cold, hot chocolate."

Well, it's not perfect, but he can work with it. "So...wanna go get some soda for you, coffee for me?"

"Sounds great. I know a nice little coffee shop, unless you've already got one in mind."

He doesn't.

It's a comfortable and small cafe, tables in the middle, friendly looking couches in two corners, and the counter at the far end. She gets a toasted bagel and a hot chocolate, he gets his regular coffee fix. He tries to pay but she laughs him off.

"I think I'm capable of paying for my own bagel, Carlton."

He insists again; she rolls her eyes. "No, thanks." she says firmly.

He narrows his eyes at her in a mock-glare. "Can't say I didn't try."

"You're right. I can't say that."

He wants to sit at a table, but she shakes her head, nods over to the couch. He really has no choice but to follow.

He sinks into the cushions with his coffee in hand; she settles in beside him. Just room enough for two.

She adjusts herself to face him, and he shifts to face her. The subject of guns got them all the way here, but he's pretty sure they've exhausted that topic (at least for one date). The fear of awkwardness and of saying the wrong thing rears up inside of him. He gulps his coffee (bad idea, it burns his mouth), and tries to ignore the pressure he feels building around him.

"Hmmm, what to talk about?" she asks, but the question seems more for herself than for him. "It's still too early to talk about anything heavy, according to Juliet. So that eliminates money matters and whether or not you want kids..."

Her tone is casual, but he sputters on his coffee anyway, and just barely manages to not spit it out. "W-what?" he coughs. He doesn't know whether O'Hara told Elizabeth that wanting kids had been one of the uncompromising arguments of his failed marriage.

She blushes deeply. "No, I wasn't saying we should talk about that! That's what _not_ to talk about...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out with that one."

He tries to think of something to say in response, but his heart is hammering in his chest and it's pretty distracting. _All those fights. _ He hears the replays of them in his head. He wanted kids. Victoria just assumed he didn't. She just _assumed _and it destroyed them both. He knows that maybe he never put off those 'family-man vibes', but he always wanted one. He still does.

And it's pointless to pretend that he doesn't.

Because, dammit, he can't handle being destroyed again. So he tells the truth, although he keeps his eyes away from Elizabeth's as he does so.

"I wanted kids, when I was married. She didn't and thought I wouldn't either. But I did. I still do, if I'm being perfectly honest..."

His grip on his coffee cup is tight; he can feel the hot liquid through the container, and it warms his palm. At least he has this, if nothing else by the end of the night.

"I do, too."

Her voice is soft and subtle, reassuring. He looks back up at her, meets her eyes. "I've always wanted a family," she admits. "I know it's too early to talk about any of that, and it doesn't mean that this -" she gestures to the two of them, "will be anything or lead to something like that...but, that's one of those things. It's nice to know that it _could _happen."

He is melted; he is contented. Because she's right: This, whatever it is, may not turn into anything so serious.

But it is nice to know: it could. Someday.

He watches her relax and he feels himself calm down. She smiles at him, settles back against the arm of the couch. Her legs stretch out close to his, but they don't touch. "Tell me about one of your more interesting cases...something with a good story. Maybe a case you're proud of?"

She's bringing him back to familiar territory, and somehow, instead of confining him to only work-related subjects, it brings everything around again.

Almost automatically, he mentions the case of Cinco Reyes and Drimmer. Not because Drimmer was particularly special (of course he wasn't) but because he nearly took everything away from Lassiter.

So it serves him right to rot in prison, and Carlton is maybe just a bit proud to have helped put him there. Sniffing after O'Hara, cold-cocking Spencer, being a disgrace to the badge...

And Elizabeth asks questions, listens, and sips her hot chocolate.

She asks about everyone he works with. Who he likes (she gets him to admit that he's proud of the steady officer McNab is becoming), who he appreciates (Spencer will never know), who he trusts more than anyone (O'Hara).

And then he finds himself curious about _her_ work. What kind of people does she meet? Does she like her boss?

And so they talk. These things are easy, simple, and most importantly, he likes learning these things about her (her best friend works with her, her old boss was a jerk but her new one is easy to get along with, and she's currently reading a manuscript of a thriller that keeps her up at night).

He wonders if she realizes what she's doing. It isn't often that he's comfortable around anyone, but she makes the transitions seamless, natural.

When they leave the coffee shop and he drives her home, they again say goodbye at her front door. And they share another amazing kiss that leaves him reeling and feeling ludicrously lucky.

"This has been..."

He struggles for the right word, the one that can convey everything...

"Yeah..." she says wistfully, before he gets a chance to finish his sentence.

He smiles at her, and in the end, decides that the last word isn't necessary.

Because she understands all he meant to say, and that's enough.

**A/N: One more chapter for this fic. Reviews greatly appreciated. **


	3. The Call

**A/N: Final chapter of this fic. **

**CHAPTER THREE: The Call**

He allows himself a shower before calling her, but he knows that putting it off any longer will amount to something resembling treason in her eyes. He pulls out his cell phone and pushes the send button twice to dial her number (she's almost always the last one who called)...

He settles onto his bed and rubs his eyes as he waits for her to answer.

"Hey, Carlton!" Juliet exclaims upon picking up. "How'd the date go? I expected you to call at least an hour ago..."

"We went for coffee after we got done shooting."

"Oh! Does that mean it went well?"

"I think so. She's amazing, O'Hara." he says, and if his voice sounds just a bit too admiring, it's because he can't help himself.

"You didn't get competitive with the shooting, did you?"

"No! We just shot, tested out each other's guns, let off some energy."

"That's really nice, Carlton."

"We, um, kissed again. Twice." he says, reddening slightly. He's not entirely sure why he's telling her this, but it feels like something he should mention.

"She must like you a lot."

"I hope so." he admits. "We talked about whether or not we wanted kids in the future..."

"Ugh, no. That's way too long term for second date conversation. I thought you knew not to bring that up."

"It wasn't me!" he defends. "It sorta happened by accident. She started it, but I told her the truth. I want to have kids if I can. She does too, but we know that would be way in the future. And you know, that's assuming that this actually turns serious."

"I guess you two are forgiven, if it didn't make things awkward..."

"It didn't. Or maybe for a second it did, but we got past it."

"Good. I guess I'm gonna have to call her soon. Ask her how she thinks it went...and if you're a good kisser." Juliet teases, and Carlton can hear her laughter on the other end of the line.

"Shut it, O'Hara."

"What? I've always been curi-"

"O'Hara," he tries to growl. He's glad they aren't talking in person; this way, his partner can't see that he's fighting a smile.

"Oh, fine...I'll stop. For now."

"Thank you for acting your age."

"You're welcome. Anything else to report?"

"No, I guess not. We should be going out again soon, though."

"I'm glad to hear it." Juliet says, and Carlton can hear how much she means it. "Now, if that's all," she yawns, "I think I'm gonna get to sleep now. I'm honestly pretty exhausted...but thanks for calling and letting me know how it went."

"Don't expect me to make a habit out of it." grumbles Carlton into the phone, but he thinks he just might.

Juliet laughs slightly. "Goodnight, Carlton."

"Goodnight, O'Hara. And hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

He feels heat rise up his neck and into his face (once again, he's glad that this is a phone conversation). He rushes out the words. "If you do call her...tell me what she says, okay?"

Juliet laughs again. "Will do, Partner."

**A/N: The end...of this fic. :P Thank you for reading, and thank you to everyone who reviewed! There will be only one more fic with Lassiter and Elizabeth, but it's a really huge collection of firsts and whatnot and spans over a long time. It's one of those fics where I can keep writing until I run out of ideas. And I still have quite a few ideas as of right now, so no real worries about that yet. I'll probably post the first chapter within the coming week. Some other non-Lassie/Elizabeth stories will crop up from me too, I'm sure. It's gonna be a long summer. ;) **


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